South Africa cannot be described as a donor country in the classical sense. The funding it provides is too low to fit into that category and the inflow of funds from other donors is too significant. Nevertheless, South Africa became involved in the international arena relatively early on, pursuing its own cooperation strategies and approaches. The country has established itself in international politics as a major advocate for multilateralism and pan-africanism. Due to limited possibilities, South African foreign and development policy is geared towards creating institutions and changing rules and norms to suit South African interests.
 
Given the historic economic crisis and an accompanying shift in domestic political priorities, financial expenditures for foreign and development policy are expected to decrease in the coming years. Nevertheless, for lack of alternatives, South Africa remains the most important partner in the region for non-African donor countries.
 
Read our Monitor Development Policy "South Africa’s Role in International Development Policy" here as a PDF.